Enclosed switchgear assemblies for outdoor erection



July 5, 1960 J. A. LATZKQ 2,943,717

ENCLOSED swITcI-:GEAR AssEMBLIEs FOR OUTDOOR ERECTION Filed Dec. 50, 1955 INVENTOR Jol'lh Alexander Luiz/ 0 Jim WNO Pm J ATTORNEYS .51. im ux" Y M?.`

United States Patent ENCLOSED SWITCHGEAR ASSEMBLIES FOR OUTDOOR ERECTION John Alexander Latzko, Baden, Switzerland, assigner to Aktiengesellschaft Brown, Bover & Cie, Baden, Switzerland Filed Dec. 30, 1955, Ser. No. 556,739

Claims priority, application Australia Jan. 5, 1955 2 Claims. (Cl. 189-1) Enclosed or metal clad switch gear assemblies for high and low voltages that are erected in powerstations or transformer stations and substations are usually housed in buildings or at least in specially constructed sheet metal sheds, and are therefore normally protected against exposure to the weather.

In case of outdoor erection, however, either watertight or use of special outdoor-proof material for the installed gear will be necessary. Due to the use of such material the distances between the individual components will be increased however, and any savings on building costs will be nullied, at least in part, because of the higher cost ofthe assembly proper. Therefore, proposals have been made to use bell-shaped roofs for the protection of the switchgear. However, such roofs must be removed for operation and servicing. During such periods, the assemblies remain without protection. Furthermore, the service personnel will be exposed to the weather. Low-cost additional weatherproof covers for the assembly that will give protection against influences of the weather during operation and servicing are diicult to devise.

The present invention avoids the above described dis advantages by the arrangement that such enclosed switchgear assemblies containing several panels each enclosed i.e. metal clad to establish a cubicle are, in principle, constructed in the same manner as the usual indoor assemblies, and that they are erected in two rows facing each other, with a passage for operation and servicing left open between the Irows. The entire assembly is covered by means of a roof which is secured watertight at the back parts of the cubicles and at the ends of the passage, while the cubicles serve as support for said roof.

Due to this arrangement it is possible to erect such enclosed assemblies outdoors without the need for special buildings or other separate coverings. Operation and servicing can be performed regardless of weather conditions, and the service personnel is protected against the influences of the weather while operating the switchgear.

Only the back parts of the cubicles need to be constructed completely watertight while the front parts can be constructed in the manner usual for indoor installations. As to the side walls of the cubicles it is only necessary to make the two ends of each row of cubicles watertight. The passage will be closed ott' by doors in the usual manner.

' One practical embodiment for the invention is illus trated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a View in vertical transverse section of the sheet steel enclosed assembly taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2 and featuring a double row of cubicles; and

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the assembly taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l, the cubicles being shown in top plan.

With reference now to Figures l and 2 numerals 1 indicate the cubicles of the enclosed assembly. As is evident from Fig. 2 there are two rows of cubicles each consisting of three cubicles 1, the rows facing each other. The back parts of said cubicles are made watertight. This is accomplished in the illustrated embodiment by welding U-shaped bent sheet metal pieces or channels 2 at the joints or junctions of adjacent cubicles and by inserting solid plates 3 between said pieces if desired extending from the roof to the bottom of the cubicles forming a rear protective wall. No special weatherproong precautions are required for the front parts of the cubicles. There the switchgear components are accessible and no special covering is needed, which fact is indicated in the drawing by the switches 4. Additional protective wall means in the form of cover plates 5 are installed on the 4sides at the ends of the rows between the roof and bottoms of the cubicles with the passage doors 6 tted to said plates. The entire assembly is covered by the roof 7 which is welded watertight to the back parts of the cubicles. Between the two rows of cubicles is located the passage 8 where the operation and servicing of the switchgear can be performed, protected from the Weather.

I claim:

1. A plurality of normally indoor switchgear cubicles arranged for outdoor use comprising a plurality of said cubicles arranged in two parallel rows in confronting re lation, a service passageway extending between said rows of cubicles, a roof covering said rows of cubicles, said roof being supported by the back edges of said rows of cubicles, protective weatherprooiing wall means extending from said roof to the bottoms of said cubicles and secured to said cubicles along the backs thereof at least over the junctions between adjacent cubicles and other protective wall means extending along the sides o-f said cubicles at the ends of said rows and passageway, and an access door in said wall means at the end of said passageway.

2. An arrangement of switchgear cubicles as delned in claim 1 and wherein said protective wall means extending along the backs of said cubicles includes channel members extending upright at the junctions between adjacent cubicles at the rear thereof and secured thereto, and steel plates extending between and secured to said channels and walling oi said cubicles at the rear thereof to render the same weatherproof.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,356,950 Whittredge Oct. 26, 1920 2,362,304 Reed et al. Nov. 7, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 507,938 Belgium Ian. 15, 1952 

